Emergency Services by County

About Emergency Services

What does a mandatory evacuation mean?

If a mandatory evacuation has been ordered, it means that officials anticipate a strong likelihood that local conditions will threaten public safety. Residents who refuse to leave during a mandatory evacuation will probably not be arrested. However, they should be prepared to be self-sufficient during the event. Utilities and communications systems will likely not be available and public safety agencies may not respond to calls for assistance.

What is a CERT?

A CERT is a Community Emergency Response Team. CERTs are teams of volunteers trained in basic disaster response that can supplement Emergency Services during an incident. Depending on the type or severity of an event, the CERT may be assigned low risk tasks that free up Emergency Services personnel for critical tasks.

What is mitigation?

Mitigation refers to measures taken to reduce or eliminate risks to human life or property in the event of disaster. The intent of mitigation is to reduce the need for response during a disaster. Mitigation allows response resources to be directed to the area of greatest need.